This is a show about video games, the people who play them and the people who make them. Each episode, a guest on the show talks about the games that have shaped their life in one way or another. Games that have inspired them, games that forged connections with others & games that have soothed wounds. Checkpoints!

My guest today is Alexander O. Smith, a veteran translator who has worked on an incredible array of video games including Vagrant Story, Phoenix Wright, Vanquish and one of the greatest games ever made, Final Fantasy 12.

Being a huge fan of the game, I ask a lot of questions about Final Fantasy 12 and Alex gives a lot of great answers, (like how important Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic was to the crew of the Rabanastre.) We talk a lot about where his love of language first arose, and the art and science of a good translation.

We also take the customary stroll through Alex's personal video game history including an early love of Vector arcade games, making his own MUDs, becoming the GenCon Tetris champion in 1989 and how one of the greatest gaming moments of his life took place one night in Wales.

"Incidentally, what is the going rate for rescuing Princesses these days? Food would be a good start -- the good stuff, mind you."

PATREON! - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: FF12, Phoenix Wright, Brick Out, Game & Watch, Asteroids, Dungeons & Dragons, Tetris, Zork, Portal 2, Battlezone, Civilisation, Magic, Bard's Tale, Rock Band

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Twitter - twitter.com/CheckpointsShow

Cover design: Craig Stevenson - http://onedinosaurandhisballoon.blogspot.co.uk

Music: Samuel Baker - http://soundcloud.com/furoshiki